Music Blog

S.S. Coachella: Nail Master Class with Sleigh Bells' Alexis Krauss

Fashion and music are the funniest-looking twin sisters. They're always together, always kinda sloppy. Sometimes they dress up like a swan or wear a big mouse head. Together, they're always looking to make a bold statement.

By Liz Tracy

If you follow Sleigh Bells' Alexis Krauss on Instagram (@KraussingAround), you know what she's trying to say through fashion these days: It's all about your your nails, girl.

Krauss has taken her love of nails a bit further than the normal rock star. She even invited Ria Lopez, her 24-year-old manicurist, aboard the S.S. Coachella.

Photo by Ian Witlen

Broward/Palm Beach New Times music editor Liz Tracy (left) and manicurist Ria Lopez.

The Sleigh Bells singer lives in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, where Lopez's mom owns a shop, Maritza's. "One day, I just popped in," Krauss says, "and we initially started doing very traditional manicures, and then I would come in and go, 'Can you try this?' And Ria just kept getting more adventurous and creative.

"We spent more and more time together and then I would bring her on photo shoots, video shoots. Now she just has her own totally unique thing going."

Photo by Ian Witlen

Lopez, with the crew of the Celebrity Silhouette are sawing down the gnarly nails of S.S. Coachella cruisers and making them gorgeous. Lopez's options are exquisite. There was a little dripping, inverted pentagram for the metal-heads; an eye in a pyramid, presumably, for the Egyptians; a peace sign and an orange yin-yang which, honestly, made me wish I weren't such a nail biter.

I brought my press-on nails called "Deceptions" and glued them to my poor hands and asked Lopez to go at 'em. She was game, painting all over my odd-fitting plastic claws. Nia was still working away long after the 1 p.m. cut-off time, even as a group of lady boaters moved over to the "Boats and Crafts" table to make things like snazzy sailor hats with plastic flowers on them.

Photo by Ian Witlen

"She's always coming up with ideas and a lot of times I'll literally like, 'Whatever you want to do, I trust you.'" Krauss says of her friend Lopez. "But then we're always referencing fashion, patterns, album art, you name it."

See, album art. Music, fashion couldn't do it without you.

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